Joint for artificial limbs or the like



Gun. B0TT.': JOINT HJR'ARTIFICIALv LIMBS OR THE LIKE.

AUG.2.I9I9

' Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

. 'ourrno STATES A'reur clerics.

GHGRQE R. BUTT, F YORK, "YL, ASSIGNG'R Till llI'Ilii'E N'Uftthlili CUTMPANY U AMELRICA, OF LOEIQ ISILANIJ CITY, NEW YORK, ll, tlflfltllttllltitll" L lli U1? NEW YORK.

mm ton .snrrrrorsn LI'MTBS oil. one true.

'1 '0 all whom it my concern e Be it known that I, Gnome .R. Bo'rr, e citizen o" the United States, and e resldent of the borough of Manhattan, in the city,

oomrtv, and State of New York, have mvented certain new and. useful Improve ments in Joints for Artificial Limbs or the like, of which the following is nspecifics tion.

The present invention relates to negroements in joints or beerin for artificial limbs or the like, and has for an olneet to provide on antifriction joint whlch will be resistant to e relativ'el 7 high degree, and

will have a large loe eerrying capacity,

the invention particularly contemplating a joint having a maximum of wearing surface to a. minimum of contained volume. Further objects are to provide a jo nt of very simplified design and manufacture, and m which the wearing parts they be readily re-- placed Without alteration of the other parts of the ioint and in a. manner to restore the some to its original state of constructimi and performance. a

With these and other objects 111 View, emhodirnents of my invention are shown 1n the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will he hereinafter more fully de scribed with refe moo thereto end the in vention will he h...ll pointed out in the eleimsf In. the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is e, perspective view on ortifioialliinh embodying my improved joint;

Fig} 2% is-en enlergedside elevation of the joint;

Fig. 3 is vertical sectional view taken along the line 3--Et of hi 2;

Fig. his :1. e' le view shot log the nrreugo ment of the annular ring of ontiliictiou hells Fig. 5 snout! View thereof; I Fig. (i is :1. side elevation of e modified imuu oi? joint according to my invention; end v Fig. i is a vcrtieei sectional View token alone; the line 7 of Fig. inimilerreferenee characters indicate cor-- respomlingz; parts throughout the several iigores of the drawings.

.- Referring to theill'ewings, and more pert :ulurly to Figs. 1. to 5 thereof. the emhodiment of my invention shown therein com prises u iper :uuhlower uttucliment members Specification of Letters Iteteut.

10 and ll, the lower member at its upper end at 12., the lower end 13 of the upper niomher fitting therein and being woolly coincident therewith. F0r- Word collapse of the two members is pre rented by cooperation of the abutment shoulders 14- ond l5 rovided respectively thereon.

An enlarged opening 18 is provided in the lower portion. 13 of the upper member 10, and ennulerly of the ends of the said opening there are prorided in, the side surfeces of the portion 13 circuiuferentiol hell race grooves 17 end 18, "Within which disposed eutiifrietiou hells 19 and 20 en gaging the inner surface of the forked end .12 of the lower member.

A cyliudricalstud or spindle 21 extends centrally through the opening 16 in. annulorly spaced relation to the cylindrical wall thereof. the grooved heed .22 thereof at one end being countersunk in on opening 23 at one side oi? the forked end 12 and having its screw threaded other end engaging e Wedge nut disposed in an opening 25 at the other side of the said forked end. i

A tubular cylindrical bushing 26 is provided upon the stud, and in spaced relation thereto there is provided within the opening 6 e tuhuler cylindrical bushing 27, the said "bushings abutting at their ends against the inner walls oi the forked endlQ, the annular portions of the said forked. end surrounding the stud inclosing the ends of the opening 16. The bushing is suliistantially tight upon the stud, while the hushing 27 is suhstentielly tight Within the opening 16, the sold bushings being engaged with. the .re speetire stud and opening with o. snug slid ing fit so that although they are suiiiciently tight on to remain suhstautielly stationary relatively to the respective upper end lower members it) and 11, they may at the some time he readily removed.-

being forked of the lower member 11. in assembling, the outer bushing 27 is pressed into the opening 16, the inner bushing 26 placed inside the outer bushing, the space between the two bushings being then filled with grease and.

the balls dropped in place. After this has beendone and the balls 19 and :20 inserted in the side grooves 17 and 18, the tongue end of the upper member is slipped into 10 the yoke or forked end 12 of the lower member and thereupon made secure by means of the stud and nut.

The joint according to my invention gives a maximum bearing surface and load carry- 15 ing capacity for the space available, the

space being a minimum in extent due to the staggering of the balls. The joint is particularly adapted to artificial limbs Where a small joint is desirable and where great load carrying capacity and easy movement is essential to a perfect functioning of the joint. While the bearing is a minimum in extent due to the staggering oi the balls, the wear ing surface is proportionately greater ac-,

cording to the number of rows of balls, that is, in the present instance Where three rows of balls are employed, the Wearing surface is substantially three times great as in a bearing having a single annular series of 30. balls.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modified form of construction in which the annular series of balls, 19 and 20 are dispensed with, the opposed surfaces of the tongue andv fork of the joint being of suilicient extent, and'the support provided by the annular se fries of balls being such as to prevent transverse bending of the joint. Inasmuch as the annular series of balls 19 and 20 are dis- 40 pensed with, the joint may be'materially reduced in size, and I have shovvn this feature in the. drawings. L

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention but it is obvious that changes may be made therein Within t e spirit and scope theireof as defined in the appended claims.

claim; 1. In a bearin an inner member ligiving a plane outer cylindrical surface, an outer member concentric to said inner member and. having a plane inner cylindrical surface spaced from said outer surface of seid'inner member, and anti-friction means disposed in said'space comprising a. plurality of annular rows of load sustaining balls, said rows being adjacent and contacting With each other.

2. In a bearing, an inner member having a to plane outer cylindrical surface, an outer member concentric to said in er memb r and having a plane inner cylindrical sur spaced from said outer surface of said inner member, and antiiriction means disposed in said space comprising a plurality of annular rows being each in load sustaining position and of balls, said rows being adjacent and contacting with each other, ti. 3. bal s of one row being staggered relatively to the balls of the adjacent rows.

3. In a joint of the character described, a member providedat one end with an 011-- lar'ged transversely disposed cylindrical opening, another member having a forked end engaging the said end of the said first mentioned member, a removable spindle engaging said member and passing axially through said opening of said first member and spaced from the well of said opening, and a plurality of antiiriction means in said space between the spindle and the Wall of said opening in said first member, said anti-- friction means being arranged in transverse row about and parallel with the axis of said spindle to provide a plural support for the'first member upon the spindle.

t. in a joint of the character described, a memberprovided at one end with an enlarged transversely disposed cylindrical opening, another member having a forked end engaging thesaid end' oi -the first mentioned member, a removable spindlecingaging said member and passing axially through said opening of said first member and spaced from the wall of said opening, and a transverse row of independent supporting means arranged in the space between the spindle and the all oi: said opening to provide intermediate and end supports for'said first member upon the spindle.

In a joint of the character described, a member provided at one end with :in enlarged transversely disposed cylindrical opening, another member having a, forked end engaging the said end of the first men tioned member, a rcmov'abl spindle engagingsaid forked end and passing axially through said. opening of sald first member,

cylindrical bushing engaging said. spindle the inner cylindrical surface of said first mentioned bushing being annularly spaced from the outer cylindrical. surface of said last mentioned bushing, and; intermediate and opposite end supporting means disposed in. said space between the sides of said fork and said intermediate supporting means bcingadapted to engage said end supporting means for maintaining the latter in the ends of said space.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, l have signed my name hereunder.

Gilt). R. BUTT.

and spaced. from the wall of said opening, a 

